Installation
Drivers + Applications
W7 is able to run a lot of hardware natively, and if it can't you may find Windows Update has what you are after. ATI Catalyst Control Center? I haven't even had a need for it, a quick 5.6MB driver file that Windows Update acquired automatically saw my X1900XT delivering the power it should. The only drivers I have had issues with so far are those face-cringing Creative drivers (but a quick compatability mode allowed it to install, run and work flawlessly).
This is very much the same situation for applications. The popular applications that I have installed, such as Firefox, Steam and WinRar, all run like they are meant to. Similarly, not-so-popular applications such as Glass2k, not even built for Vista, work flawlessly on W7.
Features
Okay, it has to be said - the difference in features between W7 and Vista are miniscule. Everything from nearer-makes-no-difference same tile game to the colour of stickie notes. But that doesn't bother me. Nor should it you. In addition, Vista's ugly sidebar is no more - widgets can be added everywhere you need them to be, and there are so so *so* many to choose from. The customization level on W7 is also far greater than that of Vista, as you'll see from my desktop in a later screenshot. Oh - and did I mention they re-did paint? Yeah.
The learning curve on W7, even though everything has changed somehow, is not steep. It's just as easy as it was in Vista to find what you need. The new "action center" in place of the old security center, different layout in control panel (again) etc are all easy to adjust to.
Conclusion
Windows 7 has exceeded my expectations even in its early stages. Going back to Vista is a genuine (speaking of that ... there are already cracks out) not-nice-in-comparison experience. Everything runs smoothly, crisply and elegantly in W7. But who knows - maybe W7 is all just a pretty theme like Vista.
I don't think so.
____________________
The Windows 7 installation screen reminds me another OS ... hmm, which one was it again?
Paint has been recharged and revitalized for the better
Once you customize it to your liking, W7 looks elegant and crisp
Controlling applications from the task bar is a feature that Windows has been lacking for a long time
42 minutes from start to finish on the installation front. Vista was a bit faster (last time I clocked mine it had finished installing after 29 minutes) but on the assumption you aren't some sort of reformat-freak that formats every week then even if the number was 2 hours it shouldn't really matter. This extra time is justified though - W7 has a lot more to copy across. A hard drive check ran in the total HD space used by W7 at 9.4GB - an issue for the ever-expanding netbook group here at BF2s. However, if you just said to yourself "screw W7" then you may change your mind when you find out the amount of memory it uses. The memory-whore Vista required 2GB at least for the system to run smoothly, but W7 tops out at just over 500MB. Therefore systems with 1GB memory should be able to enjoy the features of W7 to the full. (although in today's technic times 2GB is usually a must!)1237 - "Install Now"
1239 - Copying Files
1249 - Expanding Files
1252 - Reboot (1st time)
1254 - Installing Windows
1258 - Expanding Files (27%)
1303 - Installing Features
1303 - Installing updates
1303 - Reboot (2nd time)
1305 - Completing Installation
1310 - Reboot (3rd time)
(1311 - This time I had to manually select Windows 7)
1311 - "Setup is preparing your computer for first use"
1312 - "Setup is checking video performance"
1312 - "Set Up Windows" (entering product key, choosing computer name etc)
1316 - Finalizing settings
1317 - Reboot (4th time)
1318 - "Setup is preparing your computer for first use"
1318 - "Welcome ... Preparing your desktop..."
1319 - Installation complete
Drivers + Applications
W7 is able to run a lot of hardware natively, and if it can't you may find Windows Update has what you are after. ATI Catalyst Control Center? I haven't even had a need for it, a quick 5.6MB driver file that Windows Update acquired automatically saw my X1900XT delivering the power it should. The only drivers I have had issues with so far are those face-cringing Creative drivers (but a quick compatability mode allowed it to install, run and work flawlessly).
This is very much the same situation for applications. The popular applications that I have installed, such as Firefox, Steam and WinRar, all run like they are meant to. Similarly, not-so-popular applications such as Glass2k, not even built for Vista, work flawlessly on W7.
Features
Okay, it has to be said - the difference in features between W7 and Vista are miniscule. Everything from nearer-makes-no-difference same tile game to the colour of stickie notes. But that doesn't bother me. Nor should it you. In addition, Vista's ugly sidebar is no more - widgets can be added everywhere you need them to be, and there are so so *so* many to choose from. The customization level on W7 is also far greater than that of Vista, as you'll see from my desktop in a later screenshot. Oh - and did I mention they re-did paint? Yeah.
The learning curve on W7, even though everything has changed somehow, is not steep. It's just as easy as it was in Vista to find what you need. The new "action center" in place of the old security center, different layout in control panel (again) etc are all easy to adjust to.
Conclusion
Windows 7 has exceeded my expectations even in its early stages. Going back to Vista is a genuine (speaking of that ... there are already cracks out) not-nice-in-comparison experience. Everything runs smoothly, crisply and elegantly in W7. But who knows - maybe W7 is all just a pretty theme like Vista.
I don't think so.
____________________
The Windows 7 installation screen reminds me another OS ... hmm, which one was it again?
Paint has been recharged and revitalized for the better
Once you customize it to your liking, W7 looks elegant and crisp
Controlling applications from the task bar is a feature that Windows has been lacking for a long time
Last edited by kylef (2009-01-02 14:48:25)
